Theater seat



June 26, 1934. F. c. TOWNSEND THEATER SEAT Filed April 9, 1934 jwuem w I. a wmsencl as? j 2 W W Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to improvements in theater seats and has for an object to provide an improved foldable seat for theaters in which the construction of the seat and its supporting frame is so modified over present standard practice that considerably more room is afforded patrons of the theater in moving past up-turned seats and by those who are standing having raised their seats to let such patrons pass.

Another object of the invention resides in providing an improved associated seat and back in which the back is also movable to permit of the cushion of the seat occupying the space normally occupied by the back when the seat is in a raised position thereby enabling the seat to retire backwardly to a further degree than now permitted whereby the occupant of ,the seat in standing may be able to do so in a more convenient manner and at a greater distance back from the position now permitted in order that greater space may be afforded those moving past such person. i

A further object of the invention lies in providing an improved theater seat construction in which arrangement is also made for the arms of the seat to move out of the way and into a retired or back position.

A further object of the invention is to associate with the movable arm construction a means whereby the seat back may be shifted backwards and forwards in accordance with the raised or the lowered position of the seat.

I A still further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the back in the forward position when the seat is lowered to avoid possibility of the weight of the patron imposed on the back from accidentally moving the back backwardly to the inconvenience or discomfort of the occupant of the seat.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to 5 like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, 7

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken on the line 1-1 in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a front elevation with the seat down.

' Figure 3 is also a vertical section as in Figure 1 in the raised position of the seat.

Figure 4 is a front elevation showing the seat in raised position, and

Figure 5 is a top plan view.

Referring more particularly to the drawing 10 designates the back member and 11 the seat member. The side supporting frames, usually of metal, are indicated at 12 and 13. The backmember has pivots 14 in its upper portion, preferably at its uppermost horizontal edge for pivotally supporting the back member in the upper parts of the side frames, whereby the lower part of the back member may swing forwardly and rearwardly for a purpose later described. The side frames are to be very narrow and thin. They are narrow in a forward and rearward direction. They will also rise to a greater height than the conventional side frames and preferably taper downwardly so that their widest portion is the bottom in contact with the fioorto give greater stability and purchase. The forward edge 15 preferably tapers downwardly in order that the pivots 16 for the seat member 11 may be forwardly of the vertical position of the pivots 14 7 w for theback member 11. The seat member 11 is provided with a cushion in the customary manner. The back member may be also provided with. a cushion or a covering.

The arms are composed of vertical members 17 and horizontal members 18 which members are pivoted together as indicated at 19. The lower end of the vertical member is pivoted, as indicated at 20, to the seat member 11, while the rear end of the horizontal arm member is secured by the pivot 21 to one of the frames.

Beyond this pivot 21 the horizontal member is formed with an extension piece in which is provided an eccentric slot 22. In this eccentric slot plays. a pin 23 projecting from the back memher 10.

The base of the seat is provided with a metallic or other plate 24 having a hook member 25 extending outwardly and upwardly therefrom for the purpose of engaging behind the lower edge of the back 10 when the seat is lowered and the back drawn forward. I

In the use of the device the normal position of the seat is its lowered position with the back inclining downwardly and slightly forwardly toward the seat. In this position the arm members are erect at the sides of the seat so that the occupant of the seat may rest his arms upon said members in the normal manner now permitted in theater seat construction.

Should a person require to reach a seat beyond the occupant, it is customary for the occupant to rise folding his seat up behind him and stepping back as far as allowed by the folded seat in order to create sufiicient space for such person to walk by in front of him. However in the present conventional theater seat construction, the arms of the seat do not fold upwardly and constitute an obstacle to the free passage of such persons, and such arms form rigid abutments against which such passing persons frequently strike their arms or parts of the body resulting to say the least in momentary pain and discomfort.

Moreover the side frame members in conventional seat constructions extend forwardly for distances found unnecessary in the present construction and such side frames also interpose obstacles to the path of such persons. Thirdly the seat itself in the conventional theater construction must be pivoted so far forwardly in order to avoid its cushion striking the cushion of the permanent and fixed back member that such seat member, even in the upwardly folded condition, is in a far advanced position enabling the occupant to stand only by bending his knees forwardly to get around this extended seat. His knees thereby become obstacles to the passage of the persons referred to and injury and discomfort to his knees and to the knees of passing persons are frequent in the jostling and hurrying which occurs when patrons are seeking their seats in theaters.

The present construction avoids these various objections in that, by having the back pivoted preferably at its highest point, the lower part of the back may retire rearwardly as the seat is raised thus affording ample space in which to receive the cushion of the seat, whereby the seat may be pivoted at a more remote rear point than usual and whereby the inclination of the side frames need be extended forwardly only a very small distance to receive the seat pivots. By reason of this relatively rearward pivotal arrangement of the seat, such seat, when folded up'- wardly to substantially vertical position, will lie to a degree considerably removed rearwardly from that which the conventional theater seat is now capable of occupying whereby the patron may stand erect without protruding his knees to his much greater security and to the freer passage of such persons. Moreover, the arm members fold upwardly and retire with the seat to a point in the plane of the seat in its raised position so that such arm members do not form any projecting or rigid obstacles. Furthermore in the folding of the arms I achieve a further purpose in that the moving arms serve further to move the back. Thus the seat and back move together in a uniform manner and the back is restored to its original position as soon as the seat is lowered. In order to avoid the possibility of the occupant in resting his weight against the back from accidentally shifting the back rearwardly, the hook member engages the back upon the lowering of the seat, and the back and the seat are thus held together in a rigid manner.

It will be obvious that various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of pasts could be made which could be used without departing from the spirit 'of my invention, and

I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a theater chair construction, supporting frames, a back pivoted at its upper portion in the frames, a seat pivoted at its rear portion in intermediate parts of said frames, jointed arms pivoted to said seat and frames and having extension pieces formed with eccentric slots therein, and pins on the lower portion of the back playing in said eccentric slots.

2. In a theater chair construction, vertical upright frames of narrow construction disposed in substantially the plane of the back of the theater chair, a back member pivoted at its upper ends in the upper portion of said frames and having a pin in its lower part, a seat member pivoted at its rear portion in intermediate parts of said frames, arm members pivoted to said seat and one of the frames one of which has an extension provided with an eccentric slot for receiving the pin on the back.

3. In a theater chair construction, a seat member, a back member, side frames of narrow thin construction rising in substantially the plane of the back member, said back member being pivoted at its upper ends in the upper portions of said frames, said seat member being pivoted in intermediate portions of the frames, arm members pivoted to one another and to said se'at member and one of the frames and having an extension piece with an eccentric slot, and a pin on the lower portion of the back member playing in said eccentric slot.

4. In a theater seat construction, cushioned back and seat members, frames rising substantially vertically in the plane of the back member and being narrow to avoid projecting appreciably forward of said plane, said back member being pivoted at its upper end in the upper portions of said frames, the seat member being pivoted at a rear portion in intermediate parts of the frames, vertical and horizontal arm members pivoted to one another, said vertical arm member being pivoted to the forward part of the seat member, the rear portion of the horizontal member being pivoted to one of the frames and having rearwardly of the pivot point an extension piece with a slot therein eccentric to the pivot,

and a pin projecting from the lower portion of the back member playing in said slot.

5. In a theater chair construction, seat and back members, frames for pivotally supporting said members, said back member being pivoted at its upper portion in the frames, the seat being pivoted in the frames below the back member, arm members for folding upwardly with the seat and having means to shift the lower part of the back member rearwardly when the seat is elevated, and a hook member on the seat for engaging upwardly beneath the lower part of the back member when the seat is lowered.

FRANK CLARK TOWNSEND. 

